Always trying to give as much information as possible with the things I learned along my way. I talked about a bunch of different A/C units and if you do a search on any of the names then you'll find all the info you need on them. This is what I believe in that works and that I've done my research on and have spoke to my network of van builders. I know what works and what doesn't. Here are some more playlists below: Tours Playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLHrnevETejEMWv5kclacXhH6atb3ax6tl Van Informational Vlog Playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLHrnevETejEMseRhXNwNjrs5BU7RLpvhg Entertainment Vlog: ru-vid.com/group/PLHrnevETejENxc67U9B7IO0r2H9F5K0oa GHOST Build Playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLHrnevETejENEalXZqQCA2zR64OG_5yM1
There’re always going to be adults who used to be the kids who tried to catch the teacher making mistakes. You’re never going to get through to them. They annoy your fans as much as they annoy you. Thing is, if you reply, you become half of the bickering, when you could use this space for so much more. You’ve risen to a position where you don’t need to qualify yourself to a huge percentage of people watching. Please stay above the bickering and only speak to the people here to learn from experts vs. those only here to try to discredit one.
OriginalNightshade you can always find an expert around when one is really not needed. Maybe since everyone now knows you are the expert here you can enlighten us with your vast knowledge of people on EGO trips? Come on champ let’s have some of that knowledge! What’s this dude’s “EGO issues” all about?
@@originalnightshade4582 I was going to say something along those lines but you said it better and you have the degree to back it up. Agreed, there is some good content in between the I am so full of ... knowledge
I do not have a/c in my van, but I did find a way to keep it a little cooler inside. Even after I insulated with the pink foam and thinsulate with an air gap it still reached well over a hundred, hitting 109-113 often, and even 126F one time last August. BTW, I'm in hot humid Florida. I built a 3/4" plywood deck on top of my roof rack that is 8ft x 5ft, painted it white, and put my solar on top of that. I have aprox 8" of space between the roof and that deck, which provides constant shade and airflow over my van. It's made a huge difference and hasn't gotten over 91F since then. Fingers crossed that continues. It's not perfectly pretty, but it works.
@@zacworld2061 HI, on my channel there are a couple of videos, which I believe show that part of my build. About to post a van tour video soon, but on the road to New England right now.
Great idea , if you have ever seen a freight wood pallet (about 8-12 ft) I think that would work great as a deck it would sit right on some roof rails ! Super easy and obviously would be able to to supports tons of weight !
How much additional weight? Decrease in fuel mileage? Would coating the roof with some super reflective white mobile home or flat roof coating be beneficial?
jarrod tocci youre awesome sir, i do believe that you will solve our air conditioning problem you see modern technology hasn't kelp up with societys cool air problem, we have fire for heating but nothing for the summer heat thats cheap, but sir i do think you can invent a small unit to fit in cars and trucks and if you do invent this you will make $3,000,000.00 three million dollars your first three years making this unit for the whole world, we had this problem for a long time and nobody has the knowledge and power to solve this problem. sir this cool air problem is in every country millions are just waiting. thankyou sir i loved your video.take care. owens.
Hello, can we talk maybe on instagram or on mobile or email? I really need somebody who has more research or experience than me so that I can survive. I dont wonna make a stupid decision
I have a air cooler, two solar fans, insulation and a couple small vents I put on my 6x12 cargo trailer, it works great for me in dry climates, but when I go back to humid FL to see family i plan on buying a window AC
Jarrod thanks so much for all you do. Keep up the great work. Hope to meet you someday. Get my MB this fall to start my build. I have used so much of your info to refine my choices. Thanks again.
I appreciate all the time you're spending I devoted a lot of time to this air conditioning problem and in stress and me out because usually if you have money you can solve any problem life this is not the case it's not money that has solved my problems it's basically trying to figure out the answer to a problem you can have all the money in the world but you have tremendous amounts problems but if you can solve the problems that are in front of you your life becomes much easier
Love the vids. Glad you chose PTLD to live for this moment, Me too. Starting my own Van conversion on a 3500 Dodge Sprinter turbo dually. Needs work!! Don't know what I'm doing. Watching LOTS of videos. This will take me a year or 2. Good luck on your ebook. Sounds like you have given it a lot of thought and you have a lot of great info to share. Putting it all in one place is a very good idea.
I have a cooler with a 12v fan and a vent on the front. A dual zone freezer/fridge to freeze blue ice. As to parking in the sun, I have two sets of panels; 2 on the roof for driving, and 2 portable so I can park in the shade and put panels in the sun.
Seriously, we’re trying to decide on a fresair or a cruise n comfort or just two overhead fans right now. This topic and insulation are so so important to figure out! Thanks for this video :) you make this experience more fun!
I wish you had published this several months ago. To late for me but not to late for others. Based on my experience you are spot on. I bought a fresair for my van based on the recommendation from a couple on you tube. I believe it is the same couple you make reference to in your video. The company that sells this unit could not have been more accommodating and sent me the unit as they promised. However, it does not cool down the van anywhere near what I expected. I have since removed it from my van and chalked it up to experience ( a very expensive experience).
Hey JT, you do a really good job man, and I appreciate your content. It’s cool. Hope the shop goes well, and the stand up revival, and hope you get your container home/ tiny house soon. “Power to your elbow” as we would say in the UK. Weird , I know. Stay safe.
In addition to insulating the van I would suggest using ceramic or 3M crystalline window tint. You can put the lighter stuff on your front windshield and still be legal and it gets rid of about 35% of the heat. The next one darker gets rid of about 55% of the heat. I used it on my poorly insulated 1967 MGBGT when I added AC so my wife would go on vintage car rallies with me. The AC didn’t cool on 85°F/29.4°C days until I added the tint. I used the lightest tint so it does not look like the windows are tinted which in my opinion would ruin the vintage look. On hot days I used to feel the heat coming through the windows. After adding the tint that is no longer the case.
@@jamieharrington9037 ya, ceramic helps but makes sure the tint place is certified with the tint they sell by checking the brand's website for certified installers. many tint installers lie about the brands.
@@PaDutchRunner that's the conclusion I came to for my build. Waiting for more 24v split units to hit the market. Going from 12 or 24v to 120 back to 12or 24v is just silly
Nice video. I learned something today :) Also, in your land search, be absolutely sure to review any and all land use ordinances in the jurisdiction of the land you want to use for a tiny home or a collection of tiny homes. The prohibition of this kind of development may be more common than not. Good luck!
Very helpful! I’ve been researching for quite a while. I was thinking of getting the zero breeze mark 2, But I need something that’s quite powerful because I do not like being hot!
Hi Jarrod. In Florida here. Blasting the van's OEM A/C for 30 minutes while parked under a tree can really cool your van down. I have an off-grid lot with a shallow well, I've hosed the van down and it really helped too. understand not an option for most. I recently updated the ventilation on my van putting two custom 12v fans/vents under a giant solar panel. The solar panel keeps the elements out out and also blocks the sun while providing more solar than I need. On a cloudy day at 5pm I still get enough solar power to run both fans, my fridge, a 12v 27inch monitor, my phone and laptop. But really I try not to be inside the van between 11am and 4pm. Video on my channel.
Hi @@amalgamating. 2018 Promaster city cargo van. I ripped out my OEM battery tray and dropped in custom tray for a giant 155AH AGM Deep cycle as my only battery. Cut two big holes in my roof and fabricated a single 320 Watt solar panel roof rack over my ventilation fans. Victron solar controller. 2000 watt inverter under my seat I turn on as needed.. 12v 15L fridge set to 40F is on 24x7 where I store almond milk, mozzarella cheese, Greek yogurt, vegan dogs and patties. Been running like this without issues for 3 years on the same battery. When I van life I sleep with the fan on and usually watch TV or surf for a few hours before bed. It's a small van and Florida is hot, so I'm rarely inside the van unless driving or taking a nap between 10am and 8pm.
Cool man! This helps a lot. I gotta figure out how to get an ac unit into my 2004 Chevy suburban, yesterday. Lol! Im living up near Edwards Air Force Base, and my chevy is black (in color). It identifies as black 🤣… ok but seriously, I don’t want to melt in my car this summer. All I need is legit ac, that can keep my vehicle a nice 65 F (or have that ability), while parked in the desert, exposed with no shade from the desert sun.
I think the main problem with the Fresair is that it doesn't deal with humidity so well. Only a split unit will handle that properly since the separate evaporator and condenser units are really what helps take the humidity out of the air.
Looks like that pic is from Green Anchors under the Saint John’s bridge. I built my tiny house there years ago. Great place to build a tiny home with a community of helpful like-minded peeps! 👌🏽
i hope to have enough power to run ac someday, but in the mean time i can offer a small bit of advice for someone who doesn't have AC... don't let the van get hot! put those window coverings on early (shiny side out). those sun rays can heat the van up so quickly and there is no way to cool the van back down. thanks for the vid jarrod!
Paint the outside roof walls with Reflective White Roof paint @ Home depot / Lowes 35$ gal. Doing so will keep metal @ near ambient . As for inside Window A/C works fine with R5 insulation & Heavy mover blanket to separate the cab here in Houston .
I am experimenting with an emergency blanket right on top of the roof, to reflect the incoming heat away. So far doing tests on parking lots and securing it with magnets to the roof
1st thing is Paint the roof side walls with White reflective roof paint available at home depot lowes excreta for 35$ , Here in Houston Tx in direct sun untreated paint can get to 140 degree Treated paint gets to 100 or ambient . Inside at ambient is Easier to treat. Been there done that for decades.
For land you might look into old trailer park sites or campgrounds with potential to start a community. It would be a great service to van lifers who need a base.
I love that Jarrod keeps it classy. He could throw Mr. & Mrs. Idaho under the bus, but he doesn't. He just strongly discourages listening to their advice.
Regarding the under van compressor, I would guess that that unit is for city stealth while the roof top is for rural usage. One factor I hear from rural campers is rodents and such getting into the vehicle. I would guess the under van compressor would get compromised easily. But I frankly do not know anything from experience. Thank you for another good video Jarrod.
Another issue with trying to use an inverter to power a plug-in a/c, is heat generation. Often the inverter is located in the garage and it warms the underside of the bed. Ultimately the a/c has to displace this heat as well.
Just a correction getting into van life has many many reason and i honestly would say "being outside" as you said would be one of the leaser of the reasons other reasons would be just liking living in a small space maybe cause rent is extremely expensive and cant afford an appointment or house maybe one could be to save money to buy a house land or save up for an apartment another reason could be the persona like to travel and want to see other states not necessarily outside that van though. Just wanted to bring that to your attention. I personally have been living in a van for 2 and a half years and peior was living in a home built tow behind camper for 2 years and me personally dont care for the out doors i do it cause i like the small space and dont need an apartment or a large space it allows me to really see what i spend money on and see what i do and do not need in my life
ya, the floor is better and fewer holes in the roof = more stealth. Anyone have a suggestion for a dc fan that I can use with a 4 in. to 6 in round hole in the floor?
Jarrod, I think it is a mistake to not include in your analysis of air conditioning options more conventional compressor driven 120V systems. Your audience I suspect is nationwide, and van owners who live in the South and in the Southeast, especially those who have limited financial situations but still wish (or need) to be able to stay cool in high temp and humidity areas, need to consider these systems. It is possible to stay very cool with a minimum amount of money spent by, for example, incorporating a conventual home window unit in the 5K to 8K BTU AC with a small generator. Several class B manufacturers have successfully used this combo for many years, and this option has also been put in place by van builders as well. The cost advantage is enormous as compared to the investment required to have a DC powered AC with a combo of large solar panels,, large VERY expensive LI-ION or similar battery banks, a VERY expensive DC powered AC that can produce enough cold air to sufficiently cool a van in 95 degree 100% humidity conditions, and a big inverter, wiring, etc. I currently run a 8000 BTU window unit with a 2.8KW Onan, burning 1/3 gallon of gasoline from my main gas tank. The AC unit cost $220, the used genny cost $1000. I have 2 105AH Walmart flooded cell deep cycle batteries at $80 each, 200W of solar panels, and a good MPPY controller, and a 2000W sine wave inverter that handles everything I need in climates that do not require AC. When I need AC, with a full tank of gas I can run it for 90 hours straight and still have 5 gallons left to drive away. As to whether or not a home window unit can handle bouncing around in a vehicle, over the last 20 years of using this type of system I have never had a window unit fail. Just sayin' my man.
All of this. North Florida guy here trying to get into the van life. Ttttooooooooooooooooooo hotttttttttttttttt to not have what many might consider to be an overkill ac system.
how does this compare with leaving your car engine idling and running the car ac? or idling with a 1000W inverter and window ac. how many gallons per hour?
Appreciate your experience and details. It’s probably my biggest concern going into this. Everything else I can handle. I like to be comfortable WHEN I sleep in the south, NC
@@kevinwelsh7490 Sorry, I left out that my 2.8KW Onan burns 1/3 gallon PER HOUR when running my 8000BTU AC (1/3GPH). Also I'm not sure if a 1000W inverter would be big enough to run even a 5000BTU AC, and I have no idea what GPH your engine would use at idle as it would depend on it's size and what fuel it requires, but not only do I suspect that it would burn more than a 2.8KW genny, which is designed to run for extended periods of time; with the exeption of large truck desiel engines, your van motor, whether gas or desiel powered simply is not designed to run at idle for hours on end. Additionally, Your alternator, unless considerably oversized, would fry pretty quickly as well.
If you live in the american southwest an evaporative cooler is actually a really good option. Dry climates can do with a humidifier, and evaporative coolers also humidify, while air conditioners often dehumidify. The advantage of evaporative coolers is low power consumption.
As I get closer to buying an ambulance I'm rewatching my saved videos and this is one of them. The video brought up a question in my mind. In these big trucks that I drive we have units called APU's. Have you run into anybody using one of these units?
You are absolutely correct about insulation, adding 2" of polyisocyanurate(highest R-Value of any foams) foam board to the roof, floor, and walls, this would be in addition to filling all the spaces between the inner and outer walls of a van, it would go a long way in keeping heat out in the summer and warmth inside during winter making heating and cooling systems more effective. DC Power Solutions (Sales) has a line of 6 different DC air conditioning units both rooftop and mini split styles called B-COOL. They offer both 12v and 24v systems. Do you have any experience with this brand of air con units.
In addition to the microphone a reason why the air noise in your installation was loud is because you reduced the size of the ducting which according to you in the video Cruise N Comfort told you not to do. From my experience with noise and AC systems increasing the size of the ductwork or branching off from one duct to multiple ducts will reduce noise. Also use smooth ducting instead of flexible ducting. You can see that Cruise N Comfort does that with their optional ducting unit. www.cruisencomfortusa.com/hd-series
There are some options on alibaba for DC split units that have been mounted under at least 3 sprinter vans and detailed installation on sprinter-source threads. The units come in 12V or 24V and include all coolant lines and wiring for a 7k-9k btu unit. The cost is from $400-$800(includes shipping) depending on which seller is chosen and what shipping method is used. . This is a small fraction of what cruise n comfort charges. Yes, the quality may be different but I think this is a good option for those that are handy and not loaded with spare cash. The units that have been installed on sprinters seem to be holding up well. I've just purchased one for a Ford Transit and can report back when it's installed but don't plan to install until early May 2021 I've done a lot of research and this seems to be the best solution for cost and functionality I can find. I have 480 amp hours of lithium but will add more and 660 watts of solar.
Yes I'm sure there are ways to do it that way. I'm also a advocate for you get what you pay for. If you have the confidence to build a unit yourself then why not and save the money. For me it's more so a peace of mind thing but I totally understand why others would go and build one your way
I like the pioneer mini spilit with heatt pump ac. But the outside unit can give you some stress if you are stealth. But if you are not stealth and have 200ah battery and 500 watts solar. you can run it for 10h daily. This mini split draw 10amp per hour
have seen these on tow-behinds. when designing my van, I considered putting the outside unit on the roof using actuators to lift it during use. Envisioned a lot of maintenance problems. Went with Cruise N Comfort
47 amps this is working for the effects like because you're insulated that van airflow has a lot to do with airflow that's a lot to do with the cooling system
I used 3M SM400L insulation with a barrier.. It works great.... And swamp coolers are worthless...They only reduce the temp maybe 10 degrees. As the water will end up reaching outside temp.....
I'm a full time teacher and have two dogs; I'd like to get a van soon. I'm in the deeeeep south and that teacher parking lot gets pretty smokin' in the summer time - I would have to have a reliable/dependeable AC every day while I'm at work. I welcome any suggestions!
Yeah really interested buying just a small piece of land after I get this small piece of land I'm going to put the Winnebago right and then what I'm going to do is I'm going to try to get a little piece of Atlanta adds to that and then try to start building the foundation
Hey, i was wondering if you knew of any 12V Peltier plate aircon units. I really want to avoid any stepup in voltage as well as any compressors. The lower my power draw, the less i have to generate right ? Anyways, not sure if they even exist in reality yet, but if you know of any it would be greatly appreciated. If not, i'll build it myself.
Jarrod you're quite the Entrepreneur! So the 'Cruise N comfort' AC 'unit would be 'Overkill' in a Metris Cargo van? i'm 'good' with that ...because i SO hate Hot/Humid nights!! Stupid question . you're 'Consultation'..How much? I'm VERY 'NEW' to 'Van -Life'!! ( don't even have a van yet.). i just 'occasionally' camp in my '99 Civic HB! ( only a 'Weekend Warrior Camper' ). Considering a Metris.... Great Straight Up..Informative video's!!... Cheers from Toronto Canada!
The 8000 BTU Cruise N Comfort is over $4000 and its efficiency is only around 12 SEER. But I can get an equivalent $700 120V AC with SEER of 23 which means 19+ with inverter losses, and it only needs a cheap 500W inverter that doesn't have much idle power draw. Even after inverter losses, I'm still drawing 63% of the energy to get the exact same cooling amount which means I don't need as much battery capacity. The only question is whether it's possible to install the outside unit under the car. It's a little wider and taller, but I think it's just as slim.
As someone that has seen both types of set ups I think having a 120v AC is not worth it. Saves money, yes. But as you stated the power draw is more and remember it's times 10. Did you also add the power draw of the inverter itself? You get what you pay for in the end.
@@JarrodTocci It is one thing to have the battery capacity to run any AC thru the night and another thing to replenish the charge and do it again. Living in a van in AZ trying to run any AC unit off of lithium means you need to plug in for recharging or have solar panels on every inch of your roof. Generators or plugging in are either necessary for recharging (which brings heat into the van) or driving all day doing DC to DC. What are people doing to recharge these massive 1000 amp hour battery systems?
Swamp Coolers suck if you are in a humid climate.. They add humidity to the space and I don't think that would be good for any van.. Which brings up another problem with living in a van.. The humidity and heat together (as in living or travelling in the south East in the summer).. How many people do actually have a Temperature/hygrometer in their vans and monitor their relative humidity? Controlling humidity in a van when the climate on the outside is humid is very very very energy hungry (think dehumidifier).. So how is everyone controlling humidity in their vans? Don't say turn on roof fans, if you vent the van in a humid climate you aren't removing humidity, you are bringing in more humid air from the outside.. Complex indeed.. Any suggestions?
Air coolers are fine when humidity levels are lower than 25-30 percent. Above that, they are much less effective and above 50 percent they are completely useless
thank you! i dm'd you on ig and you asked about my budget but perhaps got busy, didn't hear back from you. you should have told me about this video! thanks for your channel! I'm about to start my van life!
I'll be living back in a new vehicle ,as soon as I buy a good used one. I'll have to get a Toyota Sienna . So can I get one or two ceiling fans on the roof of a Sienna?
Yeah be anxious to see that I'm subscribed and upkeep of contact basically you know looking for somebody is an entrepreneur and do who is basically a creative person is willing to try to find a message of a cooling RV supplies please and maybe not to get rich but maybe just for your own creature comfort
I use a cheap Walmart window a/c, run it 6 to 8 hours of comfort on a gallon of gas in a 350 dollar 2000 watt generator, total investment of under $500. Go to Adventure van man channel, Man follows his dreams video to see my setup. You have to do it right with cool air not mixing with the hot exhaust air. I have been using this setup for 3 years with no problems.
My buddy has 13.5 kwh lithium battery in his van. He had whole sale access and a relationship with the manufacturer. He's got a window ac unit and has the battery for it. And he had to add another solar panel cause he ended up draining the battery.
Hello Jarrod I am following your channel like 2 years ago. Learning van build stuff. But I have a question. I am ready to buy my Promaster, I am not sure if it will be the promaster extended or the 159 because I have a family of 5. I will install 6 seat from a Ford Transit Torneo from Germany that I shiped to the state. My question is What A/C do you recomend to install in the Promaster that can be use while we traveling? All of those that you mention in this video are for only when your park your van or we can use those while we are moving? Thanks in advance!! I really like your videos.
I wish someone made a small/micro 12V AC system that I could effectively hide in our 1927 Buick!!!!! It would let us comfortably enjoy the car all Summer!!! Right now we can only comfortably drive the car the other seasons as it’s just too hot to drive this car in the Summer when the engine also adds tons of heat to the car! Not a can but man I wish they made a small 12V system we could hide in the car!!
I am considering a DIY van build for trips at first then maybe full time…air conditioning and remaining stealth seems to be a tough goal to achieve. This is especially difficult, because I live in SoCal and want to city camp in Las Vegas and other very hot summer locations. Do not see a lot of great options out there.
The problem with roof fans or Open windows . every night you need to find a quiet spot which not always easy to do . If you sleep on the side of the road or even Walmart parking lot it’s always noise problem.
True. Also depends on the person. Someone that's used to noice can sleep through that. I personally grew up with noice around me so I can sleep through a lot of noice
Hi. I run a rooftop Dometic Penguin with the Honda 2200i. I added a “soft start” electronic device for around $250 to reduce the draw at initial compressor start up. It has been in use for 4 seasons and works well.
Do you think you could get away with two fans and windows and no AC? what about rigging up a cheap residential window mounted AC out the back window of one of the doors? Just trying to think of the cheapest simplest solution...
You noted you were not a fan (pardon the pun), air coolers but I did not glean from what you said, as to why you prefer other means of cooling. Can you elaborate?
A air cooler does not use a liquid like freon (I think they use something different now). A air cooler will typically take water and move it through some type of cooling fans and that cools the air but that's like putting a bucket of ice in front of a van. That's exaggerating but you get my point I hope.
Do you think that creating a shaded airspace would be a better solution? Such as slightly raised solar panels or a raised roof rack with the floor covered in some reflective material? I also saw someone putting reflectix on the OUTSIDE of their windshield, not the inside.
Can you advise me. I bought someone else’s sort of converted van. It has a max air fan but no AC. It has a zero yeti 500 X battery which has a 300 watt capacity. I ordered a Alpicool ac but was told my set up wouldn’t handle it. I was then advised to get an icybreeze for the cheapest way to cool here in Florida. But looks like you don’t recommend It even if it’s not supposed to be swamp cooler. What is the least expensive way for me to cool this van which is already been insulated? Thank you so much I miss single retired woman with a 2017 pro master 85 k Miles
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences. What do you think of the idea of line x as insulation, and foam boards or havelock to complement it? Thank you.
